The federal government on Tuesday distributed agro-inputs worth N2.8 billion to 14,000 farmers in Anambra and Enugu states under the Agricultural Transformation Agenda Support Programme, Phase One (ATASP-1).

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, disclosed this during the agro-inputs distribution of the National Agricultural Growth Scheme Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP) in ATASP-1 Adani-Omor Zone in Ikem, Isi-Uzo Council Area.

Mr Kyari, represented by Peter Kush, Director II, Programme Coordinating Unit in the ministry, said the distributed farm inputs to ATASP-1 farmers were redeemed at a subsidised rate.

The minister said that Adani-Omor zone had not benefited from the subsidised inputs because it was off season at the time of planning, hence the need to implement the programme in Enugu and Anambra states.

He said that they procured the inputs at a cost of N5 billion but subsidised them to farmers at a cost of N2.8 billion, representing a 50 per cent subsidy.

He stated, “Each of the benefiting farmers will receive a package of two bags of inorganic NPK/urea fertiliser, one bag of organic fertiliser, 10 kg of seeds of either maize, rice or sorghum and four litres of agro-chemicals delivered through ICT platform.’’

Mr Kyari noted that the agricultural policy of the federal government aimed at the attainment of self-sustaining growth in all the sub-sectors of agriculture and the structural transformation necessary for overall socio-economic development.

According to him, the policy is also meant to ensure improvement in the quality of life of Nigerians.

He said: “Under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, the federal government is currently implementing the National Agricultural Growth Scheme Agro-Pocket (NAGS-AP) across the nation. Farmers have been registered, and agro-inputs are being distributed to the farmers in the last dry season and the current rainy season.

“This significant milestone marks a crucial step in our commitment to empowering our farmers and enhancing agricultural productivity. By providing quality inputs, we aim to support our farmers in achieving higher yields and ensuring food security for Nigeria.”

Inaugurating the distribution, Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State appreciated Mr Tinubu for his visionary agricultural policies, as well as the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the African Development Bank (AFDB) for their support of the state through AtASP-1.

Mr Mbah, represented by the state Commissioner for Agriculture, Patrick Ubru, said that subsidised input distribution was one of such interventions coming on the platform of the NAGS-AP through the ATASP-1 project.

According to the governor, this is a crucial step towards enhancing agricultural productivity and ensuring food security in our state.

He said: “The objective of the NAGS-AP project aligns perfectly with our vision of achieving food security, nutrition security, and sustainable development through agriculture.

“I commend the federal government for its commitment to providing agricultural inputs to our smallholder farmers, a move that resonates with the agenda of my administration in agriculture.”

Earlier, Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State, also lauded Mr Tinubu and AFDB for assisting smallholder farmers to grow and providing infrastructure to boost food production through ATASP-1.

Mr Soludo, represented by the Commissioner for Agriculture in Anambra, Foster Ihejiofor, said that the distribution was a fulfilment of the federal government’s earlier promise to smallholder farmers in 2023.

He stated, “The ATASP-1 has been highly beneficial to the participating communities in Anambra State and has contributed to the educational and health wellbeing of our people.’’

The National Programme Coordinator for ATASP-1, Mohammed Arabi, described ATASP as a “game changer” in agricultural development, focusing on wheat, rice, cassava and sorghum within the country.

Mr Arabi noted that ATASP-1 had recorded tremendous progress in the past years of its operation.

According to him, among the achievements are the construction of socio-economic infrastructure such as primary schools, community health centres, boreholes and hand pumps, VIP latrines and community markets.

He said, “Other achievements included technology demonstration centres, feeder roads and the construction and rehabilitation of irrigation facilities across the seven states of the programme.’’

The ATASP-1 Adani-Omor Zone’s zonal programme coordinator, Romanus Egba, expressed gratitude to the federal, Enugu, and Anambra governments for creating an environment that allowed them to collaborate to provide farmers in the zone with subsidised agro-inputs.

Mr Egba said that the average person is a farmer and these agro-inputs would go a long way towards bumper harvests, food production and food sufficiency in the country.

One of the beneficiaries, Paulinus Orji, a sorghum farmer, thanked the federal government and ATASP-1 for making the subsidised agro-inputs possible.

Mr Orji said, “These inputs we collect today, we are going to get a bumper and bountiful harvest from them in a few months.’’ 

(NAN)